Hopkinsville’s City Council centered on discussions surrounding zoning recommendations, a masking ordinance and accountability following the council’s lack of a quorum at their Committee of the Whole meeting on November 16 at their Tuesday meeting.
During the council member comments period, ward four council member Chuck Crabtree presented the idea of having council members be paid according to their meeting attendance to prevent the lack of a quorum in the future.
Crabtree also suggested that maybe they look into virtual options for members that may be sick or unable to be at the meeting in person.
In response to Crabtree’s suggestions, City Attorney Doug Willen shared that according to the Kentucky Constitution council member compensation can only be altered at the beginning of a new council term. For virtual meetings Willen describes the statutes that allow for virtual meetings as convoluted and geared more toward emergency reasons, but says he can look into it.
In regards to their meeting agenda items the council heard from Community and Development Services Executive Director Tom Britton regarding zoning requests on Canton Pike, Pyle Lane and Peachtree Place.
Britton requested that land southwest from the intersection of Canton Pike and Pyle Lane be zoned as a general business district, land on Pyle Lane be zoned as a one-and two-family residential district and for land southwest of the intersection of Pyle Lane and Peachtree place to be zoned as single-family residential district.
The Council approved each three of the suggestions which will be voted on as ordinances at a future meeting.
Britton says CDS is going parcel-by-parcel along Canton Pike and Pyle Lane to bring the council zoning recommendations and taking feedback from property owners into consideration.
Along with zoning recommendations, the council discussed a mask ordinance that was already passed upon first reading at their November 7 meeting.
The ordinance prohibits residents from wearing any type of hood or mask with the purpose of obscuring the face in public. However, the ordinance is exempt to mask wearers who are younger than 12-years-old, are in a theatrical production, wear a mask for their line of work, are wearing a gas mask for an emergency drill or for a medical reason.
Ward 12 council member Mathew Handy says he was wondering if the ordinance required a religious mask exemption.
Willen clarified that the council would be able to add an additional exemption, but ward three council member Donald Marsh specified that the ordinance applies to those wearing a face covering for the purpose of hiding their identity. Craig also says she felt as though they did not need to add a religion exemption because the ordinance did not apply those who cover their faces as part of a religious practice.
The council approved the ordinance.
Beyond the discussion and approval items Mayor J.R. Knight shared an update regarding the fire that broke out at Metalsa early Tuesday morning. Knight says Hopkinsville Fire Department crews were still at the site and on Wednesday the department will work toward excavating the scene since the structure is not secure.
Once the site is excavated Knight says the department will have better access to the facilities pit which was still on fire at the time of the meeting.